Blurb:
"I dare
you."
Those words would change adrenaline junkie, Alice Harrison's life forever. She's a party girl that doesn't believe in love until she meets a man that only writes about it.
Seth James escaped his overbearing father and moved into one of the James family's vacant condos, hoping to create the music he loves in peace. But the fragile calm he's envisioned shatters when a tiny woman with a world full of energy bounces out of the elevator and nearly takes him out.
With the patience of a saint, Seth seeks the dark that keeps Alice from enjoying life. He challenges her to exorcise the demons in her past in order to discover the true meaning of love. But when the walls fall down, the hidden deceptions will bare the ugly truth about a woman drowning in sorrow and a man who may not know how to be her hero.
Those words would change adrenaline junkie, Alice Harrison's life forever. She's a party girl that doesn't believe in love until she meets a man that only writes about it.
Seth James escaped his overbearing father and moved into one of the James family's vacant condos, hoping to create the music he loves in peace. But the fragile calm he's envisioned shatters when a tiny woman with a world full of energy bounces out of the elevator and nearly takes him out.
With the patience of a saint, Seth seeks the dark that keeps Alice from enjoying life. He challenges her to exorcise the demons in her past in order to discover the true meaning of love. But when the walls fall down, the hidden deceptions will bare the ugly truth about a woman drowning in sorrow and a man who may not know how to be her hero.
Excerpt:
In the hall, arms laden with musical equipment, four
large and totally hot guys fill the space—Seth James leading the pack. He
stops, drops the cymbal dangling from an index finger, and stares. His too
bright gaze travels down my scantily, and very sweaty, clad body and back up.
When our eyes meet, he grins. “Come to help?”
“No.” I have no idea what makes me do it, but I snatch
his cymbal off the floor and carry it into his apartment. I’m asking for
trouble, but can’t seem to stop myself. They follow me inside, jaws still
slack. Okay, so I’m cute, but not worthy of jaws dropping. I plop it down on
his couch and rush back to the door. Taking on Seth doesn’t scare me, but a
crew of hotties is a little much.
His strong fingers wrap around my shoulder before I make
it through the walkway. It’s not controlling or holding me back. His hand is
simply resting on me. “Hey, thanks. I’m sorry if we…uh…interrupted your day.”
His words sound sincere and slightly slurred, and I can’t
find it in my heart to be bitchy to the first guy in a long time that has only
shown me kindness. I sigh and pivot to face him. “It’s not me I’m worried
about. My sister is asleep.”
He glances at his watch and frowns.
“She’s recovering from an accident. So, if you don’t
mind, keep it down in the halls.”
He leans forward. “Will do and I’m sorry.”
When he enters my personal space, my heart speeds up. His
eyes stare into mine. I feel this incredible connection, like he knows my pain.
Like he can see my guilt.
The distance between us seems to be shrinking, and I’m
not sure if it’s me shuffling closer or him.
He snags the zipper on my jacket and runs it up and down.
“Is she going to be okay?”
I pluck at a button on his shirt and glance up.
“Eventually.”
His friends form a half-moon circle around him and gape
at me. I flick a glance at each of them. They all have a very different style
of dress, which only raises more questions about the man in front of me. “Am I
the first girl they’ve ever seen?”
Blondie, with the coal lined eyes, on the left snickers.
“In Seth’s apartment? Hell, yes.”
Seth elbows him, but grins.
The tall guy in a kind of hot-nerd ensemble leans over
and shakes my hand. “Deacon. Would you like a beer?”
I eye the leering men again. “It looks like you started
without me, and I’m not into gang-bangs.” I disengage the overlong hand play
with the nerd and back away from the group. “G., I’ll catch you later.”
“Hey, wait. I’ll walk you back over.”
The hotties chuckle, high-five, and rib Seth as we walk
toward the hall. He shuts the door to their gazes and catches my hand before I
can cross back to my apartment. “Hey, are you going to tell me your name?”
“Nah, this is more fun.”
“Why?”
“I think you’re used to having your way.”
He smiles. “Maybe.” He leans against his door and crosses
his arms. His smile slips into a smug grin I’d seen on so many rich boys in
this city. He thinks he has me. “I’d like to have my way with you.”
He’s quite the talker when he’s sauced. Good to know.
It’s nice to see his thoughts. “That’s the beer talking.” I step close, arch up
on tip-toe, and tap a finger to his slightly parted lips. “A few hours ago, you
didn’t have much to say. I’m okay with keeping this awkward tension between us.
It’s all we’ll ever have.”
He scowls at that and twists the knob back to his
apartment. “Whatever.”
Mission accomplished. I’d succeeded in pissing him off.
If he stayed mad at me, then we could squash this weird attraction that we
obviously both feel.
I grin. “Bye, G.”
His brows dip low, and I shove the door behind me,
sagging against it. My breath swooshes out from between my clenched teeth.
Damn, he is going to be trouble. I feel it all the way to my pinky toe.
A soft knock against my back drives home the point. I
twirl and open the door before he disturbs Molly—or maybe because I’m not ready
to share him with her yet. “What?”
He tucks a hand into the waistband of my shorts and hauls
me into the hall, pulling my door shut behind me. “Where did you get that?” His
gaze lingers on the small bump decorating my forehead.
I reach up and touch the sore knot. “Oh, I fell.”
“How?” He raises his free hand and traces the swelling.
I don’t even feel the careful prodding. No, my
concentration is solely focused on the fingers tucked inside my shorts and only
inches away from becoming way too familiar with me. “Um…I was doing yoga when
you guys came down the hall.”
“And?” He tugs me closer. His thumb rakes a small path
below my belly button.
Oh my. “Uh…I fell out of…of…my pose and banged my head on
the floor.”
His eyes darken and those beautiful lips part. I want to
snake my tongue across the bottom one to find out if it is as soft as it looks.
He winces and lowers his eyes to mine. “So this is my
fault?”
I grab onto his wandering hand and pull it free of my
shorts. If I didn’t, I’d be asking him for a wall orgasm in less than two
minutes and random teasing and fleeing was a no go for me now. “No. It was an
accident. Lighten up, G.”
“I don’t want to cause you pain.”
Wow, that feels like a loaded proclamation. “Okay. Well,
keep the noise down, and we should be good.”
He drops the hand that had been rubbing away my bruise.
Funny, I’d totally forgotten it. “I don’t want to cause you pain. It’s a
personal thing.” A deep shudder races over him, and for some reason, I don’t
think he is with me anymore.
“You didn’t. I’m fine.” I lift a hand and cup the side of
his face, bringing his gaze to mine. It is the gentlest moment I’ve ever had
with a man, and we’ve just met. “I’m not sure what this is, but I think I
should go inside.”
He glances down the corridor, takes a deep breath, and
nods. “Yes, you should.”
“Go play with your friends. Be men or whatever that
means, and I’ll go back to my yoga.” I was going to need it after this.
He groans and drops his head back, his hint of an Adam’s
Apple bobbing down the column of his neck, begging for my tongue to taste him
there. “Did you have to bring that back to mind?”
I grin. “What? Me all hot and sweaty in contorted
positions? Do you like that?”
He groans, and one side of his mouth slants up. “I have
things to do and don’t need no-named neighbors distracting me.”
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About the
Author:
Rachel Firasek spends her days daydreaming of stories and
her nights putting the ideas to ink. She has spent a dull life following the
rules, meeting deadlines, and toeing the line, but in her made up worlds, she
can let the wild side loose. Her wonderful husband and three children support
her love of the written word and only ask for the occasional American Idol or
Swamp People quality hour.
She has a philosophy about love. It must devastate or it isn’t truly worth loving. She hopes that you all find your devastating love and cling to it with all your heart!
She has a philosophy about love. It must devastate or it isn’t truly worth loving. She hopes that you all find your devastating love and cling to it with all your heart!
OMG! Thank you for the fantastic review. :) You rock and have so made my day. I love my boys-to-men. Gabe is next. :) *le sigh* GABE! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I can't wait fro Gabe's story!! I just fell in love with them all, fantastic job Rachel!!
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